Buenos Aires: Lionel Messi is set to wear Argentina’s famous blue-and-white shirt one final time after being called up for a farewell appearance against Benin on October 6, weeks after announcing his retirement from international football.

The Argentine Football Association (AFA) confirmed that the 39-year-old will feature in the friendly at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, giving home supporters a final opportunity to see the national team’s all-time leading scorer and most-capped player in action.

Argentina will play three home friendlies in the coming weeks, beginning against Bolivia on September 30 in Córdoba, followed by Burkina Faso on October 3 and Benin three days later at the Monumental. Messi has been invited specifically for the final match, with Rodrigo De Paul and Giovani Lo Celso also confirmed among those expected to be involved.

AFA president Claudio Tapia said the association wanted Messi to receive a fitting send-off in front of Argentine supporters.

“We invited the best player in the world, the icon of our national team, our captain Lionel Andres Messi, to have a deserved farewell on October 6, here in Argentina,” Tapia said.

Messi announced his international retirement on August 31, shortly after Argentina were beaten 1-0 by Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. His announcement also came weeks after the death of his father, Jorge Messi, in Rosario on August 8.

The farewell will bring a ceremonial close to an international career spanning more than two decades. Messi has made 207 appearances and scored 125 goals for Argentina, both national records, and is expected to make his 208th and final appearance against Benin.

His greatest international triumph came in Qatar in 2022, when he captained Argentina to their first World Cup title since 1986. He also helped La Albiceleste win the Copa América in 2021 and 2024.

Messi’s World Cup career stretched across six tournaments from 2006 to 2026. He leaves the competition with a record 34 appearances and 21 goals, making him the second-highest scorer in men’s World Cup history.

Even at 39, Messi produced another remarkable campaign at the 2026 tournament, scoring eight goals and providing four assists as Argentina reached the final. He finished with the Silver Boot behind France’s Kylian Mbappé.

Among the highlights was Messi’s first World Cup hat-trick, scored in Argentina’s 3-0 group-stage victory over Algeria, when his treble drew him level at the time with Miroslav Klose’s then-record tally of 16 World Cup goals.

Messi is expected to continue his club career with Inter Miami, but October 6 will offer Argentina supporters one final chance to salute the captain who led the country through heartbreak and ultimately back to the summit of world football.